“This meeting will facilitate a vital conversation between clinicians, researchers and government leaders from around the world and across Asia,” said Dr. Christopher Nelson, Director of the CaT Secretariat at Sabin Vaccine Institute. “It is important to discuss the highly endemic rates of typhoid in the region and how typhoid vaccines can help control and prevent disease.”

Typhoid fever and enteric fever is widespread in communities without access to safe water and basic sanitation and spreads through contaminated water and food.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), typhoid impacts an estimated 21 million people and causes more than 200,000 deaths annually, predominantly among preschool and school-age children. WHO reports that 90 percent of typhoid deaths occur in Asia.

“Clinicians across South and Southeast Asia recognize typhoid’s serious health impact, particularly the rising and widespread threat of drug resistant typhoid.” said Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Founding Chair, Women and Child Health Division, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. “In addition to the increasing number of severe cases and deaths, typhoid infection impacts school attendance and achievement and limits the workforce participation of parents and caregivers.”

Several countries, such as China, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal have used existing typhoid vaccines to effectively control and prevent disease.

“Nepal has shown that typhoid vaccination programs can be launched successfully in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders,” said Dr. Shyam Raj Upreti, Director, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal.

Despite examples of successful typhoid vaccination programs in the region and a WHO recommendation to prioritize typhoid vaccines for “immediate” implementation, many countries have yet to recommend or introduce typhoid vaccines.

“Pediatric associations and others across the region recognize typhoid’s serious impact, particularly the rising and widespread threat of drug-resistant typhoid. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics, the largest organization of pediatricians in the country, has recommended the immediate inclusion of typhoid vaccine in the national immunization program.” said Prof. Lalitha Mendis, Chairperson of the Technical Consultative Group on immunization for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) in New Delhi and immediate past President of the Sri Lanka Medical Council. “National stakeholders and policy makers must review country specific evidence and move forward with discussions on possible and appropriate strategies for typhoid vaccination.”

With leadership and support from international organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the 8th International conference on Typhoid Fever and Other Invasive Salmonelloses represents the broad international effort underway to find solutions for the control and prevention of typhoid fever, enteric fever and disease caused by invasive non-typhoidal salmonella, including efforts to develop next generation vaccines and improved diagnostics. Financial support was provided by IVI and the CaT Secretariat at the Sabin Vaccine Institute.

For more information about the 8th International Conference on Typhoid Fever and Other Invasive Salmonelloses, visit the conference website at www.typhoidconference.org.

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About The Coalition against Typhoid (CaT)The Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) is a global forum of scientists and immunization experts working to save lives and reduce suffering by advancing typhoid vaccination in high burden communities who is one amongst other leading alliances. By prioritizing typhoid on the global health agenda and developing a comprehensive work plan to combat this disease, the Coalition against Typhoid eagerly anticipates expanding access to these life-saving vaccines. Learn more about CaT at http://www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org/

About Sabin Vaccine InstituteSabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers, and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering caused by vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases. Sabin works with governments, leading public and private organizations, and academic institutions to provide solutions for some of the world's most pervasive health challenges. Since its founding in 1993 in honor of the oral polio vaccine developer, Dr. Albert B. Sabin, the Institute has been at the forefront of efforts to control, treat and eliminate these diseases by developing new vaccines, advocating use of existing vaccines and promoting increased access to affordable medical treatments. For more information please visit www.sabin.org.